Punjab IG says PTI worker Ali Bilal’s death result of road ‘accident’

Punjab Inspector General Dr Usman Anwar said on Saturday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) worker Ali Bilal’s death in Lahore was the result of a road “accident”, responding to allegations leveled on the caretaker provincial administration that the incident was a case of custodial killing, Aaj News reported.

Addressing a press conference along with caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, the IG said the evidence indicates that this is an accident case.

He referred to CCTV footage that showed “the body of an innocent man was brought to Services Hospital by a black Vigo at 6:52pm on Wednesday”, saying that suspects “clearly looked tense”.

“They also tried to save the victim at one point and then transport him to the hospital. Then the manner in which the incident was misinterpreted was quite unfortunate,” the police chief said.

He said he had talked to doctors and was ready to show the medical report which said the victim was subjected to “massive blunt trauma”. Dr Anwar said the car involved in the accident was traced through 31 CCTV cameras.

He said Raja Shakeel, who is vice president of the PTI in Central Punjab, was identified as the owner of the vehicle.

“He had no intention to kill the worker, but this is where the problem started.”

Meanwhile, CM Naqvi said that Punjab inspector general had visited the victim’s father, denying that the police were given any directions to torture workers of a particular party.

Naqvi said he will not bow before “pressure and dirty propaganda”, adding that he “will prefer going home but will not surrender.”

“We are not barring you from politics but you should refrain from levelling baseless allegations on us,” the CM said, referring to PTI.

Background

Bilal, also known as Zille Shah, died and several others were injured as the caretaker setup in Punjab attempted to block the rally called by PTI chief Imran Khan ahead of elections for the provincial assembly.

Bilal was among the PTI workers arrested during the clashes between PTI workers and Punjab police.

On March 8, the day of the incident, PTI chief Imran shared on Twitter a video, writing that: the video clearly shows that Ali Bilal, also affectionately called Zille Shah, was alive when taken to police station. So he was killed while in police custody - such is the murderous bent of the present regime & Punjab police.“

Hospital officials later said the victim was assaulted and had already succumbed to his injuries when he was brought to the emergency department.

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